Governor Hyacinth Alia has issued a chilling warning to the nation: the killers wreaking havoc across Benue State are not Nigerian. According to the governor, the armed men posing as Fulani herders are actually foreign militants—Malians—masquerading as locals to carry out deadly raids.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Alia said the attackers speak a different form of Hausa and Fulani, use sophisticated weapons like AK-47s and AK-49s, and do not resemble the traditional Fulani herders Nigerians are familiar with.
“These people don’t just speak differently—they look different, move differently, and kill differently,” he said. “Our local herders herd cows with sticks. These ones come with assault rifles.”
Benue has endured repeated bloodshed in local government areas like Otukpo, Ado, and Logo. The governor now believes the violence is no longer just a national crisis—it’s an international breach.
“We are being invaded, not by our neighbors, but by armed foreigners,” Alia declared. “They are not Nigerians. Believe it.”
His comments have sparked debate over national security, border patrol, and the increasing militarization of herder-related conflicts. As citizens reel from the ongoing violence, questions mount about who is behind the attacks—and how they’re getting into the country.